AHH yes. Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, I bring to you the long awaited return of our brother, Mick. I have informed him of the copious amounts of requests I have received for his writing. We are blessed to day to be able to secure a bit more content from him. Enjoy. – hwilsin
Habits, quirks, and superstitions all go into the stew that make up my surf behavior. The beginning of the process revolves around leaving my car. I would classify my car habits more as OCD impulses. When I start suiting up, the first step is taking the car key off the chain and tying it on a shoelace around my neck. You only need to lock yourself out the car a few times before it’s an emphasis in the procedure. Once I’m all suited up and ready to paddle out I go over to the driver’s side door and yank on the handle 2-3 times to make sure its locked and tap on the window for mental confirmation that the window is up. I then look at the ground and say, ‘nothing on the ground.’ Then I close the hatchback, yank on the back handle, look on the ground and say, ‘nothing on the ground.’ This paranoia all stems from the time I got my car stolen while surfing. I also have forgotten miscellaneous accessories on the ground like leashes, fins, and watches. Regardless of time of day or weather, I apply chapstick, crucial to protect the lips. Checking these boxes is necessary before a session for me to have some peace of mind.
During the session I may bust out a “wave dance” to bring a fresh set similar to a rain dance in time of drought. If a long enough lull goes by I will hop off my board and dive under to the ocean floor and scoop up a handful of sand. Then I’ll swim up to the surface and toss it forward. Doesn’t need to be a full huck, just back into the water. I believe it disrupts a stagnant energy and prompts wave activity. The ocean lords get sleepy and need a poke from time to time. I’ve found it to be fairly effective over the years since it was first introduced to me by a buddy in my early days of high school. Typically, waves arrive in the next few minutes.
Before leaving the beach after the session I always feel compelled to walk over one last time to check it. I need to know how I’m leaving it off. Did it just turn on? Should I paddle back out? Is it trending in a favorable direction for another sesh later? Or does it look like shit and worthy of moving on to other ventures in the day?
Oh, a few other lingering notes;
No leashing produces steezier surfing.
For every piece of trash picked up on the beach, one karmic wave token is earned.
A 5-10 minute stretching routine before every paddle is mandatory.
Basecoat then StickyBumps Cool for each waxing. Flat wax patties need to go.
Cursing at the waves in frustration in thicker swell can be dicey. Beware of bad juju.
Wetsuit requires a fresh water rinse before each hang (2 hangers for support).
A board should never be placed fins down unless on water, rack, or lap. The sight of a fin sitting on concrete or car roof makes me crabby. These are a few of my personal policies that I adhere to optimize the surfing experience. While they’re not foolproof, I’ve found over the years that I am better off with them than without them.
-Mick
